Lubricating apparatus



Nov. 2, 1937. E. w. DAVIS LUBRI'GATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30, 1935Patented Nov. Z, 1937 PATENTv OFFICE,

1 LUBRI'CATING APPARATUS ErnestW. Davis, Oak Park, Ill.,l assignor toStewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of lVirginiaApplication January 30, 1935, Serial No. 4,073 4 claims. (012221-471) Myinvention relates generally to lubricating apparatus, and moreparticularly to'an improved automatic shut-off andpressure relief valvefor lubricating service stations. v Y

In many of the larger service stationsI equipped for the lubrication ofautomotive vehicles, it is common to pipe lubricant under high pressureto the various greasing pits from a central high pressure lubricantcompressor. At each of the l0 greasing stations are located one or moreflexible conduits, each provided with a coupler for making a detachableconnection with thelubricant receiving ttings on the automoblle'beinglubriv cated, and With a valve manually operable to control the flow oflubricant, through the liexible conduit. It is desirable that when theiiexible conduits are not in use, they b e disconnected from the highpressurelubricant ,supply line, and have the pressure therein relieved,thus greatly extending the life of the ilexible conduit.

Normally this can be done only by manually turning off a valve at thejuncture ofthe flexible conduit with the supply line and thereafteropening the valve in the flexible discharge conduit to relieve thelubricant pressure therein.

The latter operation is time `consuming and results in wastage oflubricant whenever the control valve in the flexible conduit is Vopenedto relieve the lubricant pressure, Vfor due to the fact that grease andother lubricants usually contain small amounts of trapped air, and duetof the fact that the iiexible conduits are slightly elastic, aconsiderable amount of lubricant is exuded from the coupler Whenever thecontrol valve in the flexible conduit is opened, even though its connec-Y tion With the supply line be cut off.

Furthermore, the operation of relieving the pressure in the dischargeline is frequently neglected by careless service station attendants.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide improvedmeans for semi-automatically closing the valve connecting the iiexibledischarge conduit with the source of lubricant under pressure and at thesame time relieve 45 the lubricant pressure in said conduit.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the'line 4-4 of Fig. 3showing the three-Way valve linut stops; and Y Fig. 5 is a transversesectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing the connectionof the handle to the plug of the three-way'valve.

Fig. 1 represents the installation ofmy inventionl upon the side Wall ofa greasing pit of an automotive vehicle service station, the lubricantbeing supplied from a Asuitable source under high pressure through apipe I0, the latter being connected by a suitable T'I2, street L I4,andnipple I6 to the body I8 of a three-Way valve. The body I8 has aplurality of lugs 20 which receive screws 24"l or other suitable meansVby which the body is fastened to the wall 26.

.A flexible discharge conduit 28isV connected tothe body I8 of thethree-Way valve, communicating withport 30 thereof (Fig. 3) which is1ocated adjacent a port 32 which communicates with the nipple I6. Adrain-pipe 34 is likewise connected to the body I8 of the three-wayvalve by a suitable coupling 36, the latter communicating with aport 38of the three-way valve.

The body I8 of the three-way valve is provided With a tapered bore 48 tovreceive a complementaily4 shaped plug 42, the latter being 'held snuglyin the bore by a compression coil spring 44 which is located in suitablerecesses formed in the valve plug 42 and in a closure plug 46 which isthreaded :inthe endof the body I8. The stern portion 48 of the plug 42has a pin 50 extending radially therefrom, movement of the valve plug 42being limited by engagement of this pin 58 with one or the other of lugs52, 54 formed integrally with 4the body I 8.

The valve plug 42 is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 3, withits recess 56 connecting ports 3D and 38, by a torsion spring 58, oneend of which is hooked over an actuating arm 60, the other end beinganchored behind one of a plurality of lugs 62 formed on the body I8. Thearm 60 has a square socket fitting over the squared end 64 of the plugstem 48, being secured thereto by a screw 66 and Washer 68. The outerend of the arm 60 is bifurcated to form a hook 'I0 adapted to receive acontrol valve 12. The control valve 12 is secured tothe end of theflexible conduit 28 and has secured thereto a exible discharge hose 'I4which at its extremity carries a coupler 'I6 by Which the connectionwith the lubricant receiving fittings may be made.

When the operator commences the lubrication of a vehicle he will removethe control valve 'I2 from the hook 'I0 of the arm 60, whereupon thetorsion spring 58 will swing the arm B0 upwardly to the position inwhich it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position the recess56 in the Valve plug 42 will lie in the position, indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 3 and connect the ports 30 and 32, thereby permitting flowof lubricant from the pipe I0 in which the lubricant is normallymaintained under high pressure, into thel discharge conduit 28.. As thecouplerj'"isfsuccessively connected to the various lubricant"v reLceiving fittings, the control valve 12 is operated to supply therequired quantity of lubricant Yto each bearing. ,i v Y Upon completionof the lubrication of the automobile, the service station attendantlwill again hang the control valve 'l2 on the hookV 1D, the weightthereof swinging the arm 60 downwardly from the dotted line position tothe full line position (Fig. 1). When the arm 60 is in its lowermostposition the recess 5G in the valve plug 42 will overlie the ports 3l!and 38, and the supply of lubricant from the pipe lllthuscut off, andthe flexible conduit 28 connected to the drain pipe 34, thus relievingthe lubricant pressure in the flexible conduit 28. The pipe 34 may draininto any suitable receptacle and the lubricant collected thereinsubsequently used.

While I have shown and described but a single embodiment of myinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousslight changes and modications may bemade therein without departing fromthe invention as dened in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a high pressure lubricating system, the combination of a source oflubricant under pressure, a conduit for making a connection with a partto be lubricated, capable -of withstanding high lubricant pressure, amanually operated valve in the conduit whereby lubricant may be suppliedto said partwhileit is connectedy to said conduit, a movable support forsaid conduit, and a three way valve for alternatively connecting saidconduit to said source and to the atmosphere,

.w said valve being operable by the weight of said sure, a three-wayvalve having one of the ports thereof connected to said source, thesecond port being connected to the atmosphere, a conduit capable ofwithstanding high lubricant pressures, connected to the third port ofsaid valve, and having means for making a detachable connection with apart to be supplied with lubricant, a manually operated valve in theconduit whereby lubricant may be suppliedV to said 'part While its-connected with saidL conduit', and a member for supporting saidconduit, said member being operatively connected with said valve tocause said Valve to relieve the pressure on said conduit by connectingsaid conduit with the atmosphere when the conduit is supported by saidmember, and to connect said conduit to said source when the conduit isremoved from said member.

3. In a high pressure lubricating system, the combination of a flexibleconduit capable of withstanding high lubricant pressures, a coupler atone end of said conduit for detachably connecting the conduit withlubricant receiving ttings applied to the parts to be lubricated, amanually operated valve in the conduit whereby lubricant may be suppliedto a fitting while it is connected to said coupler, a source oflubricant under pressure, a support for said conduit, and a three-Wayvalve actuated by movement of said support, said three-way valve beingarranged to connect said source with said. conduit when the latter isremoved from said support, and to relieve the pressure on said conduitby connecting said conduit with the atmosphere when the conduit restsupon said support.

4. In a high pressure lubricating system having a exible dischargeconduit, capable of withstanding high lubricant pressures, with acoupler at its end for making a detachable connection with a part to belubricated, a manually operated valve in the conduit whereby lubricantmay be supplied to said part while it is connected to said coupler, aconduit-protecting device comprising a movable support for the conduit,a Valve actuated by the support when it receives the conduit todisconnect the conduit from the high pressure system and to vent it tothe atmosphere for relieving the pressure in said conduit, and` meansfor actuating the valve to connect the conduit with the high pressuresystem when the conduit is removed from the support. I

ERNEST W. DAVIS.

